A Funny Fab 4 Foto Fiasco

Place: Leyton Baths in East London ~ then an indoor swimming pool converted into a dance hall(Gone now to make way for a store called "Tescos")

Time: April 1963

I introduced myself and offered to buy them all beers, they accepted and over a few drinks we had a good chat, talking mostly about music and their favorite artists, the Beatles going out of their way to jovial, obliging and friendly.

I asked if I could take a photo of them. “Of course” they replied. “Just a minute,” said Paul, “I must clean my teeth first.” After a while Paul was ready and John positioned the group for their photo.

“Right” John said to me, “When I say three, we’ll all smile and you take the picture.”

John commenced to count “one... two... THREE!!!” John literally yelled THREE, making the other Beatles and myself nearly jump out of our skins.

I wasn’t able to take the picture, but Paul was the worst “casualty” — he had still been holding the open tube of toothpaste, and when John had shouted, Paul had squeezed the tube — and a long length of toothpaste had shot down Paul’s trouser leg.

After much laughter I finally got my photo — with Paul keeping his hand over the embarrassing stain on his trousers.